In this first episode of the podcast series 200 Norwegians, you'll hear the story of Cleng Peerson, the father of Norwegian emigration. Discover his humble beginnings in Tysvær, Norway, and how an unlikely chain of events—spurred by the Napoleonic Wars and an unhappy marriage—set him on the path to becoming a Moses-like figure for a group of persecuted Norwegians. The episode also follows the journey of the "Norwegian Mayflower" across the Atlantic, where a casket of Madeira sweet wine nearly sent them to the bottom of the sea.

In this second episode of 200 Norwegians, you’ll hear how Cleng Peerson’s grand plan failed—and how, in the end, President John Quincy Adams stepped in to rescue the Sloopers after their arrival in America. We’ll explore the brutal early years in Kendall, New York, a place that came to be known as the "Black North." Then, we’ll follow in Peerson’s footsteps as he pushes west in search of a new settlement, culminating in a fateful night under a tree in the Fox River Valley, where he experienced a biblical vision that would seal the destiny of his countrymen.

In the third and final chapter of the Cleng Peerson saga, you will hear what happened when the father of Norwegian emigration joined a cult and married a woman 26 years his junior. You will also learn about his final walk toward the Texas sun—and why Clifton, in Bosque County, is called the Norwegian Capital of Texas.

In the fourth episode of 200 Norwegians, we share the remarkable story of Margarethe Cammermeyer — the colonel who took on the U.S. military after being discharged for being a lesbian. Cammermeyer's life reads like a Forrest Gump-style journey through modern history. Born in Nazi-occupied Norway to parents active in the resistance, she went on to serve in the Vietnam War, became a top-ranking officer in the National Guard, and found herself at the center of a national controversy in the 1990s. Her legal battle led to a landmark court victory — and even inspired a made-for-TV movie starring Glenn Close. Along the way, she’s crossed paths with figures like Barbra Streisand and several U.S. presidents. In this episode, we dig into it all.